2010 Tesla Roadster2

Routine

Owners filed 1 complaints about this vehicle with federal regulators, most often about the power train. It has been recalled 1 time.

What fails
ComponentReportsCrashesFiresInjuries
Power Train1
000

1 safety recall

Part 573 reports
Electrical System › 12v/24v/48v Battery › Cables10V458000
Filed Oct 1, 2010439 vehiclesTesla Motors, Inc

Defect. TESLA IS RECALLING CERTAIN MODEL YEAR 2010 ROADSTER 2.0 AND 2.5 VEHICLES EQUIPPED WITH A 12V AUXILIARY CABLE. THE 12V AUXILIARY CABLE FOR THE LOW VOLTAGE BACK UP POWER SYSTEM MAY BE IMPROPERLY ROUTED. IF THE WIRE IS IMPROPERLY ROUTED, AND TRAPPED AGAINST THE WHEEL WELL COVER, THE WIRE MAY ABRADE AGAINST THE EDGE OF THE CARBON FIBER ARMATURE AND, OVER TIME, EXPOSE THE WIRE. CONTACT BETWEEN THE BARE WIRE AND CARBON FIBER MAY CAUSE A SHORT-CIRCUIT LEADING TO POSSIBLE ELECTRICAL ARCHING.

Risk. SHORT CIRCUIT AND ELECTRICAL ARCING COULD LEAD TO A FIRE IN THE RIGHT FRONT HEADLAMP AREA.

Remedy. TESLA MOTORS WILL CHECK THE ROUTING OF THE 12V AUXILIARY CABLE AND INSTALL A PROTECTIVE SLEEVE OVER THE WIRE FREE OF CHARGE. THIS WILL PREVENT MISROUTING AND PINCHING BY THE WHEEL WELL COVER. THE SAFETY RECALL BEGAN ON OCTOBER 31, 2010. OWNERS MAY CONTACT TESLA CUSTOMER SERVICE AT 877-888-3752.

What owners reported

Newest filings
Power Train
Filed Sep 15, 20117,000 milesVA

WHILE DRIVING AT APPROXIMATELY 30MPH, MY CAR EXPERIENCED "DRIVE LOSS", WHICH MEANS THE POWER TRAIN WAS SHUT DOWN SO THE CAR COULD ONLY COAST TO A STOP. THIS HAPPENED WITH NO WARNING. AS THE POWER WAS SHUT DOWN, THE ON BOARD SCREEN STATED "POWER TRAIN SHUT DOWN" OR A SIMILAR MESSAGE. I WAS NOT IN A DANGEROUS SITUATION AT THE TIME, SO I WAS ABLE TO STOP WITHOUT BEING HIT BY ANOTHER VEHICLE. THE MANUFACTURER INVESTIGATED THE PROBLEM. THE SOFTWARE ON BOARD THE CAR "DECIDED" TO CAUSE THE SHUT DOWN. IN THIS CASE, THE SOFTWARE DECIDED TO SHUT DOWN ALL SYSTEMS IN ORDER TO PROTECT THE BATTERY. IT DID THIS BECAUSE A FAULTY SENSOR ON THE BATTERY SENT A SIGNAL THAT THE TEMPERATURE WAS EXTREMELY COLD. EXTREME COLD IS HARMFUL TO THE BATTERY LIFE, SO THE CAR SHUTS DOWN TO AVOID COSTLY BATTERY REPLACEMENTS. TESLA MANAGEMENT HAS CONFIRMED THAT THIS SHUT DOWN PROCESS CAN OCCUR FOR MANY OTHER REASONS AS WELL, AND IS USED IN GENERAL AS A WAY TO HANDLE EXCEPTIONAL CONDITIONS. I THINK IT IS EXTREMELY DANGEROUS FOR THE ON BOARD SOFTWARE TO SHUT DOWN A VEHICLE WHILE IN MOTION. I AM NOT AWARE OF ANY OTHER VEHICLE AUTONOMOUSLY MAKING SUCH "DECISIONS", SO I FEEL IT IS IMPORTANT TO REPORT THIS HAZARD TO THE SAFETY OF OCCUPANTS OF TESLA ROADSTERS. THE VEHICLE WAS COMPLETELY DRIVABLE AT THE TIME. I WAS ABLE TO START IT AGAIN, AND THE PROBLEM RECURRED 6 MORE TIMES SEQUENTIALLY. TESLA HAS PROMISED A SOFTWARE FIX TO ADDRESS THE PROBLEM, BUT HAS NOT DELIVERED ONE. I HAVE BEEN WAITING FOR A OVER 8 MONTHS FOR T

1 of 1 complaints, reproduced as filed.

Reading this record

No unusual pattern of severe incidents in the complaint record.

Complaint counts track how many cars were sold and how long they have been on the road as much as they track quality. A common model from 2013 has had a decade to accumulate reports; a rare one from last year has not. The signal worth weighing is in the severity columns, in whether the same component keeps appearing, and in whether the manufacturer eventually opened a recall for it.

Recall repairs are free for as long as the recall stands. Check whether a specific car still has open work at NHTSA's VIN lookup.

Most recent recall on file: Oct 1, 2010. Source: NHTSA Office of Defects Investigation.